It's nearly impossible to find ammunition for an AR-15 assault rifle in South Florida.Lines are out the door at some gun shops, and new gun sales are growing, even as policymakers in Washington discuss ways to limit access to guns in the wake of the Sandy Hook school shooting.The surge in ammunition and gun sales can be directly attributed to fear among customers that the government may soon enact laws that could ban assault rifles and limit access to high-capacity magazines."If it shoots a bullet, customers are worried about not being able to replace it or buy it," said Delray Shooting Center owner Michael Caruso, who added that gun demand is at record levels at his store.Longtime customer Larry Goertz went to the store to try and buy some assault rifle ammunition, but he came up empty. The store was sold out."There's no question that it's all about the hype about the ban,” he said.President Barack Obama is expected to release his gun-control policy on Wednesday, but already some lawmakers have put forward legislation on their own. Florida Democrat Lois Frankel co-sponsored two gun-control bills, including one that would enact a federal ban on high-capacity magazines and another that would require criminal background checks at gun shows."This is about safety," Frankel said. "We're talking about common-sense legislation that does not interfere with the Second Amendment. People also have the right to go to a movie theater and not have someone shoot them with a semi-automatic."

DELRAY BEACH, Fla. —

It's nearly impossible to find ammunition for an AR-15 assault rifle in South Florida.

Lines are out the door at some gun shops, and new gun sales are growing, even as policymakers in Washington discuss ways to limit access to guns in the wake of the Sandy Hook school shooting.

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The surge in ammunition and gun sales can be directly attributed to fear among customers that the government may soon enact laws that could ban assault rifles and limit access to high-capacity magazines.

"If it shoots a bullet, customers are worried about not being able to replace it or buy it," said Delray Shooting Center owner Michael Caruso, who added that gun demand is at record levels at his store.

Longtime customer Larry Goertz went to the store to try and buy some assault rifle ammunition, but he came up empty. The store was sold out.

"There's no question that it's all about the hype about the ban,” he said.

President Barack Obama is expected to release his gun-control policy on Wednesday, but already some lawmakers have put forward legislation on their own. Florida Democrat Lois Frankel co-sponsored two gun-control bills, including one that would enact a federal ban on high-capacity magazines and another that would require criminal background checks at gun shows.

"This is about safety," Frankel said. "We're talking about common-sense legislation that does not interfere with the Second Amendment. People also have the right to go to a movie theater and not have someone shoot them with a semi-automatic."